Where We Train: Switzerland

Based in the stunning Swiss city of Zurich, close to mountains, rivers, and lakes, Nienke Brinkman has found the ideal training platform. Since her injury, she has incorporated a lot of cycling, adjusting her usual training routine. But as she recovers, her training is starting to look more like her typical schedule again.

The 2022 European bronze medallist moved to Switzerland to pursue her academic goals but after later discovering a gift for running she has found the mountainous central European country the perfect environment to deliver her marathon ambitions.

“Zurich is situated between two hills and a lake,” explains Nienke. “For long runs along the lake it is basically flat and there is also a gravel trail besides a river.

“But for my long runs and some easy runs I often head up to the hills, it is super nice on the trails. The great thing about living in Zurich is you have the best of city life but then it is not a big city and after 10 minutes of running you are outside of the city.”

Coached by Louis Delahaie, Nienke typically carries out one track training sessions per week – usually on a Tuesday – with her long run often on a Thursday. Each Saturday she typically devotes to “marathon block training” with many double training days in between comprising largely easy runs.

“Each Friday I run, but it is really easy making it more like a running rest day,” explains Nienke.

Track sessions take place at a convenient location – a mere 200m from her home. Sessions comprise a total distance of anywhere between 12-15km and can be divided into 15x1km, 6x2km and in a range of ways.

Sometimes training alone and sometimes with a group – her preference is the latter.

“For sessions it is super nice to train as part of a group because it allows you to push harder,” she says. “Even on the days you are not feeling so good, you still feel like you have completed a quality session because everyone else is suffering too.”

For Nienke – who boasts a marathon PB of 2:22:51 - the purpose of the track sessions is clear.

“It is to develop speed, but what is also important is that for each rep you need to maintain the same speed throughout. It is important to know your body and not blow up in the session,” she adds.

For many decades the weekly ‘long run’ forms a key building block in helping develop strength and endurance and for the 31-year-old Dutch athlete it is no different.

Nienke will often complete a gruelling 30-40km long run. Sometimes this is completed at a consistent pace at other times it will executed at a progressive pace - starting out at around 4:10 per kilometre before finishing the run at 3:40-3:45 per kilometre. She also has the good fortune to complete her long runs on inspiring routes.

“I like to run in the hills as it allows me to set my brain to zero but I also like the hard efforts on the flat routes by the river or lake. I often try and run with others as it helps the motivation.

“Finishing a long run is the best feeling of the week, it is satisfying to complete a long distance,” she explains. “To me, it feels a bit like racing because I always feel a bit nervous before the long run.”

Her other key session of “marathon blocks” or interval training allows the former Dutch marathon record-holder to maintain a “marathon specific pace.”

Once again tapping into the attractive surrounding Zurich area for the sessions – which could comprise anything from 3x15 minutes of running or 4x5km - Nienke says such sessions play an important role.

“You try to maintain the pace for as long as possible which does give me a lot of confidence,” she explains.

The remainder of the week comprises ‘easy runs’ - which on some days are completed twice a day.

Based in Zurich at an altitude of around 400m she often implements a period of altitude training into her marathon preparation. For this she has the option of heading to St Moritz in Switzerland – situated at an altitude of around 1800m – or on occasion she has headed out to Kenya.

Often attending the altitude training camp close to a race – although making sure she heads back down to sea level (ten to 14 days before a marathon -  Nienke adds: “I always enjoy altitude training. I respond well to the altitude, and I am always very focused in a training camp environment.”

Occasionally when often visiting parents in her native Netherlands she carries out some training at home. Based in a village just out of Leiden in South Holland she adds: “Where my parents live I can access a lot of tarmac roads and cycling paths,” she says. “I have a lot of people I can run with in the Netherlands and sometimes I run with my sister Sant.”

Yet for Nienke there is no place better than Zurich to train.

“I am really happy where I live, I really love Switzerland. I like the training options and that we are so close to the hills and I have so many beautiful runs to choose from. I’m also very lucky in that if I want to train at altitude in the mountains in St Moritz that is only a one-hour drive away.”